Theme B Quotes

• In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth

  • Genesis 1.1
  • Proof for literalist Christians that the world was created by God
  • Shows God's omnipotence and nature as the creator
• evolution is "the greatest show on Earth"


  • Richard Dawkins
  • Used to support his ideas of evolution and atheism
• evolution and creation are complementary

  • Pope Benedict
  • Used to support the idea that God is the "architect of evolution"
  • Supports a view more common with liberal Christians
• He who kills another man's ox sins... through injuring another man in his property


  • Thomas Aquinas
  • Supports the idea that humans have authority over animals
  • Animals are viewed as property rather than living beings
• the life of animals and plants is preserved not for themselves but for man... their life and death are subject for our use

  • Thomas Aquinas
  • From his Summa Theologica
  • Supports ideas of dominion and humanity having authority over animals
• animals "have the same source" as himself


  • St. Francis of Assisi
  • Humans and animals have the same origin from God
  • Used to support the idea that eating animals is disrespectful to God
• It's not if they can reason, it's if they can suffer

  • Jeremy Bentham
  • Used in discussions of the poor quality of life caused by factory farming and animal testing
• Imago Dei


  • In the image of God
  • The idea that God created humanity in his own image and that humanity share something of his nature
• breathed the breath of life


  • Genesis
  • Special creation
  • Suggests that humans were specially created, and therefore contain something of the nature of God
• So God created man in his own image

  • Genesis 1.26
  • Supports ideas of special creation
• For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb


  • Psam 139:13-16
  • We are all God's creations, so harming others is wrong
  • Implication that life begins before birth, meaning abortion is a sin
  • "inmost being" could mean soul, suggesting that embryos have souls
• You yourselves are God's temple... if anyone destroy's God's temple, God will destroy him


  • 1 Corinthians 3:16
  • The soul is sacred, therefore it is a sin to destroy it
  • Link to special creation - we contain something of the nature of God
• the need for "compassion for the mother and a proper responsibility for the life of the unborn child"


  • Anglican views on abortion
  • Link to how Anglicans practice Situation Ethics - what is the most loving thing to do?
• thou shalt not kill

  • From the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) given to Moses
  • Direct order from God
• Do not kill your children for fear of poverty, we will provide

  • Qur'an
  • Prohibits abotions on the grounds of poverty
• Whosoever has killed a soul, it is as though he has killed all of mankind


  • Qur'an 5:32
  • Taking life is a sin
• Do unto others as you would have done unto you

  • The Golden Rule
  • Link to Situation Ethics - what is the most loving thing to do?
• Euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and unacceptable killing of a human person


  • Pope John Paul II
  • Completely forbids euthanasia
  • The Pope is seen as having the same authority as Jesus, so his word is taken as doctrine
• Do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction

  • Qur'an 2:195
  • A direct command from Allah
  • Equates euthanasia to murder, which Allah forbids
• You're not going to have another life. Make the most of this one


  • Richard Dawkins
  • Criticism of the idea of an afterlife
  • Believers may spend their whole lives waiting for reward in another one, which Dawkins criticises